Eleven organisations in Garston have been awarded a share of £31,000 in funding to deliver youth engagement projects. Schoolchildren from five local primary schools and The Academy of St Nicholas decided which groups deserved the funding during an event held at the school. The money was made available using funds seized from criminals, and the organisations were rated on their work to promote engagement and reduce barriers between young people. The groups will deliver a range of activities and events that are designed to encourage healthy living, discourage antisocial behaviour and help young people to develop important life skills.
Eight of the groups will receive £5,000, while runners-up will receive £1,000 each to support the delivery of their projects. The five highest scoring groups were Everton in the Community, KMC Community Projects, GAP Detached Team, Apollo Sports Club and Strictly Boxing Fitness Studio. The runners-up included Altru Drama CIC, ArtsGroupie, Youth Empowering Services (YES) CIC, Merseybeats Majorettes Dance Troupe, The Thinker Hub CIC and New Horizons Enrichment and Education.
Inspector Nicola Hamilton of the local policing team, who supported the event, commented on the benefits of engaging young people in the decision-making process. She said: “Events like this support our ongoing work to tackle anti-social behaviour and crime and give us an opportunity to engage with young people and partners. Local organisations will now benefit from the ill-gotten gains of criminals, as this funding will be reinvested into the community to support projects benefiting hundreds of young people in the area.”
The initiative was also praised by Merseyside’s Police Commissioner, Emily Spurrell, who discussed the importance of early intervention in addressing crime and antisocial behaviour. She noted that working together with the support of schools and young people themselves could create safer and more positive communities. The funding distribution was part of the wider programme funded by the Proceeds of Crime Fund, which supports community initiatives and interventions across the region.
Gary Lloyd, the headteacher of The Academy of St Nicholas, highlighted the positive impact of the initiative on the students at the school, explaining that “The students loved learning about the incredible work of these local community groups and deciding who should benefit from this funding, which in turn, will directly impact the young people of Garston”. The groups are now planning and launching their delivery programmes, and the funding will be used to benefit hundreds of young people in Garston and neighbouring areas
Read the full article on Liverpool Express here: Read More